How to think in First Principles like Elon Musk🧵 
Individuals that employ first principles thinking are one step ahead as they plan and build for the future.
We start with multiple principles in life governed by our values, perceptions, belief system and how we learn to reason.
We start with multiple principles in life governed by our values, perceptions, belief system and how we learn to reason.
The principles may be sound when we first started, but questioning if they still apply requires debunking old theories and creating new versions of reality for ourselves.
It requires embracing a new mindset that identifies when our old way of doing things is obsolete
It requires embracing a new mindset that identifies when our old way of doing things is obsolete
How do we typically think?
- Starts with limitations
- Iteration and improvement of an existing path
- Explore available solutions in the form of variations of what exists without true knowledge
- Starts with limitations
- Iteration and improvement of an existing path
- Explore available solutions in the form of variations of what exists without true knowledge
- Look back in time and then determine what to build
- Question the path taken to reach a certain goal
- Question the path taken to reach a certain goal
How we should think?
- Starts with the possibilities
- Define and explore a completely new path
- Create a new recipe from the fundamental truth
- Look into the future and its needs
- Ask the question “What’s the goal”
- Starts with the possibilities
- Define and explore a completely new path
- Create a new recipe from the fundamental truth
- Look into the future and its needs
- Ask the question “What’s the goal”
First Principles thinking involves breaking down a problem into its fundamental building blocks. Its essential elements are:
- asking powerful questions
- getting down to the basic truth
- separating facts from assumptions and then constructing a view from the grounds up.
- asking powerful questions
- getting down to the basic truth
- separating facts from assumptions and then constructing a view from the grounds up.
It requires understanding that our experience may be different from reality
true knowledge can be attained by learning to integrate different ideas together.
It fills the gap between the incremental mindset to opening ourselves to the beautiful world of possibilities.
true knowledge can be attained by learning to integrate different ideas together.
It fills the gap between the incremental mindset to opening ourselves to the beautiful world of possibilities.
Children naturally apply first principles while they try to build their own reasoning around why certain things must be done in a certain way in order to establish a better view of the world.
They ask Questions Iike :
- “Why do I need to eat healthy”
- “Why do I need to sleep at a certain time”
- “Why do you have to go to office”
- “Why are you allowed to have more screen time than I do”
- “Why do I need to eat healthy”
- “Why do I need to sleep at a certain time”
- “Why do you have to go to office”
- “Why are you allowed to have more screen time than I do”
The never ending list of Whys starts off as being cute to feeling like a game and soon turns into a test of patience for most parents
Often times the response they get is "because is said so"
In schools children are taught to obey, do as told.
Often times the response they get is "because is said so"
In schools children are taught to obey, do as told.
They are required to learn lessons and not encouraged to reason and explore the fundamental truths underlying any principle.
Whether it’s a lack of time or our own ignorance to find a perfectly reasonable answer that will satisfy their curiosity
Whether it’s a lack of time or our own ignorance to find a perfectly reasonable answer that will satisfy their curiosity
Avoiding it is the first step to killing their confidence in their own reasoning process.
Met with “Because I said so”, children learn to follow others ideas and beliefs without a chance to construct their own versions, build their own reality and learn to apply it.
Met with “Because I said so”, children learn to follow others ideas and beliefs without a chance to construct their own versions, build their own reality and learn to apply it.
This happens at work too. People with the “I-know-best” attitude or those with a desire to move fast shun others viewpoints and questioning reflected in their responses
- “I have more experience than you”
- “Do as I say”
- “Let’s take this offline”
- “I have more experience than you”
- “Do as I say”
- “Let’s take this offline”
Without an opportunity to form an independent line of thought, such people tend to reason by analogy and not by first principles.
When faced with complicated problems at work or in life, they are inclined to follow a safe path to known practices
When faced with complicated problems at work or in life, they are inclined to follow a safe path to known practices
They do not attempt a hard path that requires digging deeper and exploring unknown territory.
That's why Elon is able to do ings others consider "Impossible", or rather once considered "Impossible".
That's why Elon is able to do ings others consider "Impossible", or rather once considered "Impossible".
Going beyond our own reality is hard and it demands attention and effort.
First principles thinking requires spending a lot more mental energy to break the trap of natural mode of thinking.
First principles thinking requires spending a lot more mental energy to break the trap of natural mode of thinking.
Practically Speaking;
- Break down the platform into its core features, essential components, the most basic parts
- Dig deep, ask questions and learn the challenges of each individual part.
- Break down the platform into its core features, essential components, the most basic parts
- Dig deep, ask questions and learn the challenges of each individual part.
- Gain context. Think about why some choices were made in the first place and what changes have made those assumptions and decisions now invalid
- Learn about the purpose of this platform, its goals. How far is it from its goals
- Learn about the purpose of this platform, its goals. How far is it from its goals
- If you were to build it today, how would you go about doing it? What value will it add?
- Work out the cost (in terms of time, effort, resources) of iteration on existing vs building new
- With all the knowledge gathered above, now make your decision.
- Work out the cost (in terms of time, effort, resources) of iteration on existing vs building new
- With all the knowledge gathered above, now make your decision.
And that's how you go about implementing first principles thinking in your life.
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